Portable gas apparatus with safety device



M. E. LIESSE.

PORTABLE GAS APPARATUS WITH SAFETY DEVICE May 12, 1970 Filed Sept. 195a United States Patent 3,511,585 PORTABLE GAS APPARATUS WITH SAFETY DEVICE Maurice Etienne Liesse, 2 Rue Diderot, 94 Champigny-sur-Marne, France Filed Sept. 4, 1968, Ser. No. 757,316

Int. Cl. F23n U.S. Cl. 431-88 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention broadly relates to portable gas appliances comprising an inflammable gas tank and a normally vertical burner tube. The instant invention more particularly provides safety means for stopping the gas stream from being admitted into the burner tube at a point beyond a predetermined inclination of the ap pliance.

Numerous accidents have been recorded in portable gas apparatus, with a burning flame at the extremity. used either for illumination, heating or any other purpose.

These devices, whenever they are unstable and liable to be overturned, have the disadvantage of spreading the flame over an inflammable floor.

It is an object of this invention to provide, for a completely safe use of these appliances, a device which temporarily or definitely stops the gas stream from being admitted into the burner, and therefore puts out the flame at a point beyond a certain predetermined inclination of the appliance.

It is another object of the invention to provide, in a portable gas appliance comprising an inflammable gas tank, a normally vertical burner tube provided with at least one port at its base, a chamber communicating with said tank through a gas expansion channel, said chamber comprising an upper wall provided with an opening into which is mounted said tube as a sliding component, a safety device comprising means for closing said port when said tube has slid upwards to a higher position, a Weight mounted on said tube and maintaining it in its lower position when it is oriented substantially in a vertical direction and means for applying an antagonistic force to said tube causing it to slide upwards to said higher position as soon as it departs from the vertical direction by a predetermined quantity.

The invention will be more clearly understood as a result of the following description:

In the appended drawings.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an appliance in accordance with a first embodiment of the invention and,

FIG. 2 is a partial view of a varying embodiment.

This appliance, shown by Way of illustration only, is an imitation of a candle for decorative purposes.

A refill 1 containing inflammable gas, for example, butane, is screwed onto a bush 2 fastened inside the body of the candle 3. A pin 4 opens the refill valve when it is screwed home. A filter 5 stops all impurities, which might clog up the expansion port 6 or reduce the tightness of the safety valve 7.

This valve 7 is formed by a toroidal joint and the enlarged base of the tube 13, which consists of a simple metallic tube acting as a burner. 'Ihis tube is adapted to slide in the direction of the axis of the assembly. Above the enlarged and sealed base, forming a valve,

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one or more small lateral holes 8 allow the introduction of the gas inside the tube, when the valve is open. Air seal 9 insures tightness with respect to the outside. A spring 10 functions to partially compensate the elfect of a weight 11 integral with the tube 13 through an adjusting screw 12. The wick 13 leaves the body of the candle through an orifice 14 through which it slides freely.

When the refill 1 is screwed on, the gas enters through port 6 passing through filter 5. If the candle is vertical, weight 11 applies a force tending to cause a downward movement of the tube with which it is integral.

Spring 10 applies an opposing but slightly weaker force so that the assembly tube valve, will be maintained in an open position, if the appliance remains vertical.

The valve is therefore open, and the gas enters the tube through orifices 8; it cannot escape to a higher position due to air seal 9. If the candle is inclined, it is obvious that the force applied by the weight 11, will decrease with inclination; when it reaches a value below that of the spring, the tube 13 moves up again under the influence of the latter 10, and the valve closes and locks, due to the fact that the pressure which has been lowered by the calibrated port 6 rises, and tends to maintain the valve in a closed position.

By an appropriate choice of the spring force, it is obviously possible to trigger the locking action for any predetermined inclination of the appliance.

In order to light the flame again, a slight pressure is applied to the tube 13 and the candle is replaced in a vertical position.

In the simplified embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2, homologous components are noted, having the same reference numbers as in a FIG. 1. However, spring 10 has been eliminated and tube 13 is provided with a collar 15 forming a thrust bearing normally bearing against the upper face of cup 11 which acts as a weight. When the candle is inclined the upper face of cup 11 remains horizontal, so that its position with respect to the direction of tube 13 is that shown by the dotted line n FIG. 2: it can be seen that the upper face of cup 11 pushes collar 15 upwards thus closing the valve in the manner explained above.

It is self-evident that the antagonistic force, instead of being produced by a spring, as in the embodiment of FIG. 1, or through the action of the upper face of the weight, as in the preferred embodiment of FIG. 2, can be produced by other means.

What is claimed is:

1. A portable gas apparatus comprising an inflammable gas tank; a gas expansion chamber; channel means connecting said tank to said chamber; a normally vertical burner tube having a base located in said chamber and at least one port at said base, said chamber comprising an upper wall provided with an opening into which said tube is mounted for sliding from a lower to a higher position; and a safety device comprising sealing means for closing up said orifice when said tube is in its higher position, a weight mounted onto said tube and maintaining said tube in its lower position when said tube is substantially arranged in a vertical direction and means for applying to said tube an antagonistic force causing it to slide upwards to its higher position as soon as said tube departs from the vertical direction by a predetermined quantity.

2. A portable gas apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

3 wherein said sealing means comprise an air seal and a plate mounted at the lower extremity of said tube and cooperating with said seal.

3. A portable gas apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein Said weight is fixedly secured in an adjustable position onto said tube, said means for applying an antagonistic force comprising spring means mounted between said weight and said upper Wall.

4. A portable gas apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said weight is mounted for oscillation about said tube and comprises a constantly horizontal upper face, said means for applying an antagonistic force comprising said upper face and a thrust bearing, mounted in a fixed position onto said tube andcooperating with said upper face.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,717,573 6/1929 McAtee 137-43 X 2,619,102 11/1952 Endress 13743 2,813,142 11/1957 Lindberg 137-43 X 3,349,577 10/1967 Burchett et al 431-88 10 CARROLL B. DORITY, 111., Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 137-43; 222500 

